Latest news with #MPOOrdinance1960
Business Recorder
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance 1960: LHC asks federal Law Ministry to review detention provisions
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday asked the federal law ministry to review the preventive detention provisions of Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance 1960. A full bench headed by Chief Justice Aalia Neelum heard the petitions of PTI former MPA Zainab Umair and others challenging detention orders of the party/workers. Earlier, the petitioner's counsel argued that several provisions of the law were in conflict with the Constitution and that hundreds of people had been detained under its cover. He said the law had been misused politically and arbitrarily by the government. He pointed out that before detaining a citizen, the government must satisfy itself with justifiable grounds. However, he alleged that dozens or even hundreds of people had been detained under a single order. The chief justice remarked, 'The courts are awake, not asleep, that's why the system functions.' The chief justice observed, 'Everyone wants peace but if peace is disturbed, who will be held responsible? What happens if a protest is not peaceful?' The Chief Justice also remarked that laws are framed on the foundation of the Constitution. The bench, while concluding the proceedings, decided to forward two of the petitions to the law ministry and disposed of two others as being withdrawn. Last year, a report submitted by the Punjab chief secretary in the court revealed that the provincial government had delegated its powers under section 26 of the MPO Ordinance 1960 to the DCs to issue detention orders subject to reasonable restriction. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
LHC larger bench to hear MPO case on 7th
The Lahore High Court (LHC) chief justice, Aalia Neelum, has formed a larger bench to hear a plea filed by the government against suspension of a detention law, the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, 1960. A day earlier, on Thursday, CJ Aalia Neelum reserved her order while hearing an application for an early hearing of a petition filed against the LHC's last year's order. The CJ unveiled her order on Friday, announcing formation of a larger bench to hear the government appeal. The LHC on Nov 1, 2024 temporarily restrained the deputy commissioners (DCs) in Punjab from issuing further detention orders under section 3 of the MPO Ordinance 1960. Justice Muhammad Amjad Rafiq passed the order while hearing a petition filed by a PTI leader At the last hearing of the case, PTI's counsel Azhar Siddique had raised objection to the bench comprising Justice Neelum, contending that the matter was still pending in the court of Justice Rafiq. He argued that the bench comprising the CJ did not have the jurisdiction to hear this case. He said Justice Rafiq had already examined the case in great detail. "Justice Amjad Rafiq had issued a stay order in accordance with the law," he said. The CJ remarked that Justice Rafiq was currently hearing cases at the LHC's Multan Registry. Siddique argued that the bench of Justice Amjad Rafiq was in Lahore on March 21 and the case cannot be listed before this bench. The CJ, however, rejected his contention, asking him to "keep quiet". She later reserved her order in the case amid protest by the counsel.
